ICC T20 World Cup 2016: South Africa vs West Indies - 5 Talking Points

#5 – South Africa fight back, but fall agonizingly short

Imran Tahir brought South Africa back into the game with two quick wickets

At the end of the 16th over, West Indies needed only 24 runs to seal the match and Samuels was still going strong. When it appeared like a victory was mere formality, du Plessis threw the ball to Imran Tahir in a bid to conjure a miracle.

The leg-spinner answered his captain’s call as he struck twice in consecutive deliveries to suddenly enliven the stadium. After dropping a simple return catch, Tahir made amends by dismissing Russell who attempted an almighty slog.

He followed it up by stunning Sammy with a well-disguised googly. The West Indies captain was bewildered as Tahir set off on his customary run. The equation boiled down to 23 from the last 3 overs and both teams were in with a chance.

But, Carlos Brathwaite connected handsomely as the ball sailed into the gallery to dent South Africa’s chances. When Dinesh Ramdin hit the winning runs, the Proteas were left wondering whether they had missed a great opportunity.